Town faces burning issue

VANDUSER -- As mayor of the Village of Vanduser, Harold Graviett said one of his top priorities is to ensure there is quality fire protection for the approximately 300 residents.

That's why, although the town's fire club is not under his jurisdiction, he has stepped in to help the club, which is experiencing financial woes due to a cut in funding.

"I'm looking for a solution to solve this problem," said Graviett. The solution he has proposed is to merge with the Scott County Rural Fire Protection District.

The District covers about 125 square miles in Scott County, including the area surrounding Vanduser. Graviett said that a merge with the Village of Vanduser and the District will require a petition of the people, but will ensure quality fire protection, financial solvency and that its firefighters can join the District's volunteers.

Joel Evans, emergency management director in Scott County, has been working with Graviett and the town's Board of Alderman to come up with a solution. He said the advantages of mergers have been discussed in the past, but were moved to the forefront when the Fire Club lost a big chunk of its funding earlier this year.

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